The Return of the Brotherhood
by Hircine
Summary: When an ancient brotherhood of assassins are rising and gaining a lot of power, thus increasing the number of murders, an investigator that wants to get promoted must solve the murders and destroy the dark brotherhood from the inside out, permanently.
1. Prologue: A Knife in the Dark

**The Return of the Brotherhood**

_Prologue: A Knife in the Dark_

The leopard-like beast jumped from roof to roof quietly, hidden like a shadow. It waited for his prey to go out. _It could wait for hours_, it knew it, but it rushed; to where? No one knew.

It saw his objective, a tall, well-built Norden noble, with golden, short hair. There are not many noble Nords, it knew, from north they come with no money or honor. Nords are strong, this Nord was the strongest. He was the grand-champion of the Arena; he got a lot of money from betting and fighting against monsters, but no longer. _No longer will that fight now_, it thought.

Praying to the Night-Mother, the Khajiit jumped on the Nord, stubbing the Nord to death in the chest. Then, rising up, it left the poisoned dagger on the Nord's chest and started walking. "No one messes with the Dark Brotherhood," whispered the Khajiit, disappearing into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 1: An Assassin Between Us

**The Return of the Brotherhood**

_Chapter 1: __An Assassin Between Us_

The Bosmer set near the table in The Tiber Septim Hotel in the Imperial city. He heard about the murder and hurried to get this case first. Nine years past and he wasn't promoted. The imperials always hated the Wood Elves, Aengvir was lucky. He was a great investigator and solved some of the biggest cases in the history of Cyrodiil, like the murder of the emperor, Uriel Septim VII. If he will find the killer he will be promoted for sure, every one hated the Dark Brotherhood, those bloody killers. They know no mercy or love; they kill for money and that stupid night mother, who is probably even real. Lately rumors were telling that a Khajiit joined them, probably the best, if he could kill a person and pass the guards, he is skilled. He drank cheap mead and went up to his room, he took his bag and his expensive Daedric dagger he found near a ruin of an old Oblivion gate from the Daedric Invasion of 3E 433.

While going down the stairs to the lobby to pay for this night, he noticed a Khajiit that wore dark clothes and sat at the dark corner of the Hotel. _No Wonders_ Aengvir thought, _Khajiit like darkness, they have night vision_.

Aengvir stared at the Khajiit for sometime, and he knew the Khajiit stared at him back. After five minutes of staring Aengvir stood up and went out of the hotel, breathing fresh air and going towards the Green Emperor Way, just to pick some mushrooms near the graveyard for dinner.

He knew he was followed, but wasn't brave enough to look back. Aengvir walked in the streets of the Talos Plaza District, passing by the big nobles' houses, those were beautiful, made out of white stone, perhaps marble, the Bosmer didn't know. He lived out side the Imperial City, in a big shack in the woods, where he also practices his Marksmanship skill. Aengvir always loved history, he didn't only work in the Imperial City, he also worked in the northern area of Cyrodiil, cities like Chorrol, Bruma and Cheydinhal, letting him visit the Cloud Ruler Temple and the big Oblivion gate. Aengvir kept walking, from the Talos Plaza District to the Green Emperor Way, where the White Gold Tower stood, he could ask for help there. He stopped near one of the Palace Guards and whispered, "Someone is following me?"

The Guard nodded and drew his sword. Aengvir stopped to look behind him, he saw the Khajiit. The creature just stood there, with his fury skin and his dark clothes. The guard, wearing expensive heavy armor made out of silver and gold and holding a silver two-handed sword, walked slowly to the Khajiit.

"Go away you filthy creature! We don't accept beggars and thieves near the Tower." The guard nodded to Aengvir, assuring that every thing is going to be ok, but in this moment of distraction, the Khajiit jumped on the Imperial and took his sword. _He is strong for a Khajiit_, thought Aengvir, _Perhaps too strong… magic! _

Aengvir ran away, letting the Khajiit finish his work with the guard and then run after him, the Khajiit race was known for their acrobatics, they could ran fast and jump higher than every other race. He knew the guards will only distract the Khajiit, not kill him, so he called a group of guards that was just going out of the tower, "A murderer! Catch that Khajiit!" Aengvir shouted, he ran as fast as he could, thanking himself the Bosmers were always quick and agile. _I will run outside the city,_ Aengvir thought, _to my home, I'll be safer there, the animals will guard the area._ _Going through the sewers, will be dangerous, so I'll have to sneak my way out the city, blending with the people will be easy. _Aengvir ran through the districts, and found his way out the city. He crossed the bridge, also informing the guards near the gates about the Khajiit.

_Where is it? Where is it?_ Qa'Dar searched everywhere for the Bosmer, luckily he survived the guards. It took hours, just going around the city until he found a Khajiit that looked exactly like him, and the Khajiit is probably dead by now, after leaving the city and killing the two other guards, he stole a white horse and galloped into the woods.


	3. Chapter 2: Sneaking is not Always Good

**The Return of the Brotherhood**

_Chapter 2: Sneaking is not Always Good_

Aengvir ran as fast as he could. On his way home, Aengvir warned the animals he saw, they were two boars and some wolves, and told them a Khajiit is running after him and that they must stop the beast from getting closer to Aengvir's house. He went up the Red Ring Road and when it was intersected by the Silver Road Aengvir then turned north-west. After ten minutes of walking in the woods, he finally saw his home, a big wooden house, not high though, but wide. As a Bosmer, Aengvir never hit or cut trees. He, like many other Bosmers, believed in not hurting the trees, they believed that all the trees in the world must be respected. Because of that belief, Aengvir build his house with the trees inside. Before the house was build, most of the land was a clearing, so the kitchen and the bedroom were built there. Because he respected the trees so much, he wasn't there when the Argonian slaves built his house. He told them not to cut any trees, and to bring only timber that they already had.

Aengvir quickly entered the house, went to his bedroom to change his clothes to his leaf-green hunting clothes. He also took his hunting bow, a big, elven bow he bought in Valenwood two years ago, the merchant said it's enchanted, but he lied.

He took his arrows, which also were elven, and went to the kitchen. When he was young his father took him to the Magicians Guild in Cheydinhal, one of the guild members, Aengvir doesn't remember his name, taught him Alchemy in one day, it wasn't a lot, but Aengvir kept training, and after some time he got experienced with it.

He made potions for himself, in case he will loose a lot of health, or will be tired.

When Aengvir was in the kitchen he took five potions, one for invisibility, two for health, and two for fatigue. He went outside his house, quickly locking the door, and waited, waited for the Khajiit to come.

Qa'Dar searched for hours until he found the Bosmer's footsteps, until he killed the animals that kept attacking him; his stolen horse was killed by a wolf, so he had to walk. He followed the foot steps that stopped in front of a tree. Angry, Qa'Dar searched for a house, or a camp, anywhere he could find the Bosmer, but nothing. He searched for hours, and when it was dark, luckily, Qa'Dar used his night-eye ability. He was too tired to move on, so he decided to make a camp, assuring to himself that he will find the house. While establishing a base and lighting a bonfire, he leaned on one of the trees, the tree was wet, and Qa'Dar slipped. When he touched the wood again, he knew it wasn't a normal tree, when Qa'Dar went backwards a bit, he saw the full picture. It was a corner of a House.

Aengvir waited until the sun disappeared, he knew the Khajiit can see better in the dark, so he decided to put a trap. Aengvir remembered he had some strings and a weight; he could build a great trap. He connected the one string to two sharp pieces of metal, and then took the two pieces and pushed it into the wooden floor. "I'm sorry!" cried Aengvir when he heard the voice of the metal pushing through the wood, "Very sorry." Aengvir then connected a wire to the string and the weight to the wire. Aengvir then took another piece of metal that looked like an inverted 'U' and pushed it into the ceiling, apologizing again. He then took the wire that was connected to the weight and put the weight on the metallic, inverted 'U' that was connected to the ceiling so when the Khajiit will cut the string the weight will fall on him. If he will evade the trap the weight will fall on a metal plate he just put on the floor and will make enough noise to wake up the whole wood.

He fell asleep with his dagger, bow and his hunting clothes. He was afraid that he won't hear the weight breaking the Khajiit's skull, so he slept in the kitchen, not in the far bedroom, leaning on the doorframe.

Qa'Dar moved slowly, touching the wet wooden wall for he could get confused and loose his way. The wood, although Qa'Dar had night-eye, was a confusing place, and could make him going around for circles for hours and hours. He sneaked around the corner until he found the door. He opened the door slowly, luckily not making any noise. He sneaked a bit more forward, and heard the sound of the string when he cut it. He didn't have enough time to evade the falling weight because he crouched. Luckily, the weight fell on his leg, making him faint, and waking the Bosmer.

Aengvir heard the weight falling and woke up at the moment the Khajiit shouted; he drew his dagger and came closer. The weight fell on the Khajiit's leg, it was even better; now Aengvir could ask the Khajiit question, get closer to the hidden Dark Brotherhood. Aengvir came closer and closer, sneaking quietly for the Bosmer wasn't sure if the Khajiit had really fainted. He observed the Khajiit from closer; he wore a Black Hand robe. _The Black Hand? I captured a speaker, perhaps not a speaker… maybe a silencer, or even a Listener, no, it can't be a Listener, there is only one, and there are only two silencers, The Dark Brotherhood can have their speakers die._ Thought Aengvir, _I will have to keep him captured, tie his hands with __handcuffs and take everything; his clothes too, so he won't grab a lock pick and open the handcuffs and the door. _Aengvir searched the Khajiit's body and found two daggers, a poisoned apple, and a note:

"Qa'Dar,

Good work killing S'thasa, I hope you took her money and cheese, we must feed Schemer. Your next objective is Agarmir, a Nord that lives in the Imperial City, for a long time he sold us our dead brothers' and sisters' clothes. Kill him, and you will get your reward.

If some one is with him, or if some one looks like he suspects that you did something, kill him too. You have the full permission to kill everyone you want, but after you kill the Nord, murder them in a silenced, hidden way.

May Sithis be with you,

Arquen"

Aengvir took the note and hid it in one of his hunter's suit pocket. He then took the Khajiit and looked for more things on his body; he found some septims, no more than that. Aengvir guessed the Khajiit, now knew as Qa'Dar, is hiding something, somewhere on or in his clothes. He took the Khajiit's clothes, and burned them.

The Khajiit woke up, getting Aengvir to think what he will do with this beast.


End file.
